Monday, December 14, 2009

Everything Is Still There for the Taking

I know the loss last night was extremely disheartening. I was at the game and I can tell you how demoralizing that loss felt first hand. The stadium cleared out with about 4 minutes to go as the Chargers methodically drove down the field, grinded the clock down and then hit the game clinching field goal. It was horrible to be there and feel completely helpless watching your team get dominated.

As I drove home for the next four hours I kept trying to find something positive to take from the game. Unfortunately it just seems like they were beaten by a better team. Nick Folk is now horrible, they can't gain a yard with three cracks from the one yard line for a touchdown, and the defense can't come up with the big play in the big moment (to be fair, Demarcus Ware was hurt right before the big 3rd and 14 conversion play on the Chargers 4th quarter TD drive).

So there really isn't much there to make anyone believe that the Cowboys can compete with the big boys of the NFL this season. But there is still hope. We've seen teams get hot late in the season for the last two seasons and ride the momentum all the way to the Super Bowl. I'm not saying it is going to happen, but it is still possible. The Cowboys could be the 2009 version of the 2007 Giants and the 2008 Cardinals.

The Cowboys will still win the NFC East if they can find a way to win out. That is an awfully tall order with the New Orleans Saints waiting for them on Saturday. But if they can some how find a way to pull off the upset it just might give them the confidence to get on a roll to close the season.

There isn't a great chance that it will go the Cowboys way on Saturday, but it is possible. The Saints have pulled out some close games over the last few weeks. They seem ripe for a loss, but you know they'll be ready to go in the national spotlight on Saturday night.

If the Cowboys play their best game of the season and lose then we know they just aren't good enough this year. But if they manage to shock the NFL world, then maybe it could be the start of something special. I think we all need something to hope for at this point in the season. It isn't very likely, but there is hope. Don't give up on the team too early because you just might miss something special from this team.

13 comments:

I can tell that you are a half glass full type of person, but I'm not. We will need a miracle against the Saints. I won't be able to see the game because I don't get NFL Network, but I expect to see a blowout by the Saints when I check the score.

I’ve been saying it for the last month or so. The season finale against the Eagles will be for the division title. And damn if it doesn’t look more and more likely after this week. The ‘boys lose a HUGE game to the Bolts and the Eagles drop the Giants. Now dallas is one game behind the Eagles for the division lead and the Giants are one game behind Dallas (with the head to head tie breaker against our boys too dammit). If the pace stays the same and Dallas is one game behind the Eagles for first place that last game of the season then a win will win the division for Dallas, and a loss likely knocks dallas out of the playoffs (because if the giants keep up then they will jump ahead of Dallas in the standings in this scenario and Dallas can’t tie with NY; or the Packers either for that matter). I see this being the scenario that final week. Let’s see if I’m right. My faith has been shaken and I don't have much hope that this team can do it, but stranger things have happened.

I'm not saying I believe the Cowboys will beat the Saints...but they can. I'm not ready to give up on the season. I still have hope. I have seen too many teams get hot to finish the season to give up now.

Since the Saints took out the Patriots, they have been in two close games; one overtime win against the Redskins and a 26-23 win over the Falcons. The Redskins were down to their 3rd string RB and Atlanta had no Ryan or Turner. The Cowboys tend to perform better once everyone has given up on them, which just happend when the Eagles took first place. I think the Cowboys are going to be able to run against the Saints, the game will come down to the Dallas secondary and pass rush and whether they can get pressure on Brees. Brees will turn one blown coverage into a TD so our secondary needs to show up.

The Cowboys just haven't seemed to be on the receiving end of any kind of luck this season it seems. I think they are due for a huge breakout game. I think they will be New Orleans. Why? For the the simple fact that everyone is telling them that there is no way they will win this game. I hope the Saints feel the same way. IF the Cowboys do pull off the upset of the season by beating the Saints in their house, I think that will provide enough spark to get this team into the playoffs and maybe even a playoff win.

Break out game, turn it around, still have a chance. Are you kidding me we are done. We have no hope. Stop drinking the koolaid. My kids got me a huge fathead of the Cowboy helmet for my B-day. I would like to send it to Romotowitten he needs it more then me

If you guys would read carefully you would notice that I said that the Cowboys getting on a roll is very unlikely. But there is still a chance. That is all I am saying. I'm not ready to start with a doom and gloom offseason. Some of you might be, but I am not. I am still going to hope even if I know that the odds are stacked against the Cowboys. I didn't say I believe they'll turn it around...just that I'm hoping they will.

I was at the Chargers game too, and I saw it totally different than Spagnola, you, and alot of people. I saw a Tony Romo way off his game, low hard to catch passes, at least 3 pass blocks at the line. Bad calls, poor play calling, players under performing (Folk)I don't think they were beat by a better team, i don't think Our Cowboys are disciplined at all this year. They have no accountability. Many of these players would have been cut in the past. If they can start firing on all cyllinders the NFL needs to watch it!

I can't help but think that some of our "coaching problems" are due to the fact that we have such a high turnover rate at the coaching positions. A team that's changing coaches every 3 years isn't going to do very well in the long term in my opinion.

Also, the Cowboys aren't really having as bad of a season as some fans seem to think. 8-5 is alot better than quite a few teams in the league right now. It's not like we're the Lions or the Rams. Go to their fan sites, you don't see the same amount of trash talk from their own fans as you see on the Cowboys fan sites. It makes me sick. Be glad you have a decent team that more often than not has winning seasons. We aren't Philly(all those playoff wins and how many SB wins??? ZERO).

I agree with the comment above because all we need to do is win 2 of the last 3 games. Romo has been playing well recently and the cowboys have only lost close games. If the cowboys can beat the redskins and eagles (which they have already done) then they go to the playoofs where they might make a run.

The Cowboys don't really have a choice but to win out. There are four teams in the NFC fighting for three playoff spots. Philadelphia (vs San Francisco, vs Denver, at Dallas), Green Bay (at Pittsburg, vs Seattle, at Arizona), Dallas (at New Orleans, at Washington, vs Philadelphia), and NY Giants (at Washington, vs Carolina, at Minnesota). Dallas holds the tiebraker against only Philadelphia, while Green Bay and Giants hold the tiebraker against the Cowboys.

If Dallas looses on Saturday:1) Green Bay can afford to loose against Pittsburg and Arizona while still getting their playoff spot based on tiebraker. 2) Giants are very capable of winning out because Minnesota will have their second place locked and will probably play rest their starters. That situation will have Dallas and them tied but the Giants getting in based on the tiebraker.3) Philadelphia is also capable of winning out eventhough they have as tough a schedule as Dallas. The Cowboys' chance is if Denver beats Philadelphia at Philadelphia, then the Cowboys can get the last wild card spot if they beat Philly to close the season. DAMN SCHEDULE MAKERS! Did they see what happened in last year's season finale? In that case, are you betting your money on payback or deja vu?

Trust me, I'm truly a half full glass type of person. It's just hard to keep holding the glass steady after you get kicked in the groin time and time again.